Man Travels U.S. Handing Out $500 Tips

by Libby Zay on


In his will, Aaron Collins had a simple wish: to have his family leave “an awesome tip” for an unsuspecting server. “I’m not talking about 25%. I mean $500 for a [expletive deleted] pizza,” Collins wrote, according to his brother, Seth. Shortly after Aaron died, his family surprised a server in Lexington with just that. Seth posted a recording of the server’s reaction (above) to YouTube, and the heartwarming video quickly went viral.

People were so touched by Aaron’s request that the family soon found themselves with nearly $60,000 in donations. Seth knew he had to spread his brother’s wish further, and decided to travel to all 50 states so people across the nation could feel the effects of these random acts of kindness. Watch the first server to get a $500 tip above (the excitement starts at the minute mark), or visit Aaron’s Last Wish to see more lucky servers at the receiving end of this family’s generosity. It might just be the most heartwarming road trip ever imagined.

[via Gawker]

The Top 10 Reasons I Loved Working At Gadling

by Grant Martin on

We used to joke over the years about how lists in the media were increasingly trivializing the way in which content is consumed. Top 10 nude beaches. Top 10 Disney rides. Top 10 top 10s. I’ll admit, they can be ungratifying to write, but the platform in which we live now thrives on short form content, and the list has a significant role in that ecosystem. Ask Conde Nast how their slideshows with 2827 different slides are going.

It makes sense to leave Gadling with a top 10 list. I owe much of our success to our slideshows and lists, and though publishing our narrative work was always a point of pride, there was also a balance. Besides, you guys don’t need a long essay on blogging and my state of the travel media. We will always travel, we will always write, or at least I will. That’s most important.This is my last post at Gadling and a farewell, so to speak. It’s been a great six years, and I’ll miss some of this stuff the most.

Connectivity: I often compare Gadling to a house that’s on fire that will completely burn down unless I keep dumping water on it. Strangely, a part of me – a large part of me – will miss waking up at 3 a.m. confused and worried, making sure that Kraig Becker’s posts are scheduled for 8 a.m. the next day. I’ll miss stratifying features throughout every morning and wrestling with the frontpage of AOL.com for article placement. Being that connected with the news world is incredibly stimulating, and it’s something that I may never see again in my life.

Travel Conferences and Meetings: Vanity is a trait that runs too deep in writers, but if you look at conferences from the community rather than the career development perspective, they change a lot. Some of the best moments of my last six years have been sitting in bars after a Restless Legs reading (thanks Farley!) or at brunches in Vancouver. It’s a great time to catch up with old friends, Media 6.0 panel be damned.

Don George: In addition to being a legendary travel writer and Gadling’s features editor, Don has been an exceptional mentor to me and he’s turned into an incredible friend. Though I’m sure we’ll work together in the future, I’ll look back on this chapter of our working relationship with fondness.

The AOL community: Working at a media giant has been an eye opening experience for me (free Redbull?!) and I’ve been exposed to a great deal of really outstanding people on my journey through the system. Thanks to Willy Volk (now at The Huffington Post) and Justin Glow (now at Vox) for bringing me into the fold, to Kaylee King and Neil Katz (now at Weather), Patrick Batu (now at Time Warner), Beth Caulfield (now at Hilton) and Jared Smith for making me part of AOL, to Adam Rose and Adam Goldberg for dragging me through The Huffington Post and to Arianna Huffington, Fara Warner and Michael Yessis for letting the show go on.

I would be remiss to not mention some of the best support staff in the world at AOL as well. Cheers to Greg Roman (the developer), Dori Solomon (the lawyer) and Ken Shadford (the video producer) for helping us along the way. Gadling would have never been successful without you guys.

Access: Though I never used my press credentials for free rooms at the Ritz Carlton or upgrades on Singapore Air, working with Gadling gave me great access to the inside of the travel industry. I met the head pilot at V Australia, got to see the insides of numerous airports and had phone calls returned when I needed a quote for a story. That sort of access is precious.

The Nice PR People: I’m still convinced that several of my friends in public relations are paid to be nice to me, but I don’t care anymore. You know who you are. Thanks.

The Ridiculous Email Avalanche: About eight months after starting as editor at Gadling I got put onto the hit list for PR contacts. Now I get hundreds of emails a day pitching everything from iPhone cases (why?) to hotel packages in Vanuatu (nope) to misdirected emails for random team members.

My favorite email came after Chris Elliott wrote a joke post on April Fools this year claiming that he was the new editor of the site followed by an obviously fake post. The nice folks from Cision almost had a heart attack.

Funny thing: I actually enjoy getting a deluge of email every day. There’s something about an inbox that’s constantly churning that makes me feel needed. Vanity, I guess.

The Ping-Pong Table at 770 Broadway: Yes, I came in on several Saturdays and played a few games over beers. Sorry TA.

The peanut gallery of travel writers: Twitter has done wonders for keeping the travel writing community connected, and I’ve made many friendships there and across other media. Standout journeys include tracking down CBC Radio’s Jonathan Goldstein to eventually put together the wonderful series “In Bali with Baggage,” working with puzzlemaster Will Shortz on the “Four Down Two Across” Vines, numerous secret brunches with Jason Clampet and hundreds of nights out with the Nomading Film Fest founders or the Farley brigade.

My team, the Gadling bloggers: At this point on the job I think I hired every single person on our blogging team at Gadling, and I’m pleased to say that they’re the most respectable and intelligent group in the community. They were gracious when working with sponsors, not demanding when applying their credentials and smart about working with AOL. And they put up with me, a constantly stressed out and always-traveling editor. Keep up the good work guys. I love you all.

That’s it. Six long years ends with the June payroll and me locking myself out of the CMS. It’s been a great trip everyone. See you out on the road.

– Grant Martin

Despite Sea Of Controversy, Paula Deen Cruises Will Sail On

by Libby Zay on

As Paula Deen’s history of using racial slurs has come to light, the celebrity chef has been dropped by the Food Network, Caesars Entertainment, Smithfield, Walmart and Target. But despite a sea of controversy, it looks like two cruises boasting her name will set sail.

ABC News writes New Jersey-based Alice Travel has put together two Deen-themed cruises for 2014, one in January on the Celebrity Reflection and a second in July on the Royal Caribbean. Cruises with Deen have been organized for the past four years, and plans for 2014 were already underway before the controversy erupted – but if anything, the recent turn of events has made them even more popular.

“People are calling and saying they want to support her, even people who have never been on a cruise before. They’re saying they definitely want to go,” Phyllis Loverdi, vice president of Alice Travel, tells the news outlet.

On the Paula Deen Cruise Facebook page, a notice says the company expects both of the 500-capacity cruises will sell out. It’s a win-win for the cruise lines, too; they have no direction association with Deen since the cruises are marketed and sold exclusively through Alice Travel.

Mistreated Chinese Inmates Might Be Making Airplane Headphones

by Libby Zay on

Some of those cheap, plastic headphones airplanes give out could have a grisly origin. Both Qantas and British Airways are investigating whether the disposable headphones they distribute on board were made by poorly treated prisoners in a Chinese jail.

According to news.com.au, two inmates came forward to say that they made headphones for Qantas, British Airways and Emirates. The inmates claim that they worked more than 70 hours per week, and if anyone failed to meet production targets, they were “taken outside and tasered.”

All of the airlines have so far denied the charges, but Qantas has suspended arrangements with the company that supplies headphones to the airline, pending an investigation.

Gain Independence From Travel Expenses This July Fourth

by Capital One on


We get it! More of you – actually 31 percent more – plan to travel this summer according to a new Capital One survey, the Rewards Barometer. While you’re psyched for your upcoming trip and likely started to share your plans with friends on Facebook, you may not be as happy about getting hit with extra fees and mounting costs at every click of the mouse while finalizing your vacation.

This Independence Day, free yourself to focus on that beachside margarita or that epic theme park ride because you didn’t “break-the-bank” on your travel budget by using those credit card miles or points you stockpiled during the cold days of winter. Now, more than ever, travelers are enjoying that triumphant feeling of saving by using their rewards to cover some or even all of their summer getaway costs.

But even savvy travelers have their limit on what they are willing to give up to save a few bucks, and legroom is one of those sticking points. Two-thirds of travelers surveyed would opt to fly direct instead of taking a cheaper flight with a layover, which can eat into that first coveted vacation day. Who wouldn’t rather spend a few extra hours on the beach instead of pacing the corridors of the airport?

Whether it’s beachside in the majestic Florida Keys or island hopping in Greece, location is the top priority when making summer 2013 travel arrangements. With the right rewards program, you can book a trip to just about any destination on your travel “bucket list.” If you’re looking to avoid the July Fourth crowds, and opt for a trip across the pond, make sure you read the fine print and watch out for foreign transaction fees. Otherwise you may feel like having your own Boston Tea Party when you check your statement and up to 5 percent in fees is tacked onto your overseas souvenirs. Luckily, Capital One rewards cards don’t charge any foreign transaction fees, so you can bring home all of the English tea you want. No matter which destination is on your “travel bucket list,” you should have the freedom to earn and redeem rewards whenever and however you want.

The Rewards Barometer surveyed how customers accumulate and redeem credit card rewards, specifically relating many of the findings to how people use those rewards for travel. The survey was conducted earlier this spring among U.S. adults who currently hold a rewards credit card.

What destination is on your travel bucket list this summer?